Hello, my Mickey-eared gurus! I just got back from Disney and, wow, what a fun place to set out and look for marketing ideas. That mouse is really on to something. First off, “pop-up” retail has set in at the happiest place on earth. Disney has always done a fabulous job at advertising to customers according to “land” that they are in. However, I think this “pop-up” retail could even be taken a step further and pop-up inside the lines. Think about it, Disney guests are in line for an average of 45-75 minutes. While in line, Disney is losing profit from those guests that could be purchasing food, drink, or merchandise. By including a few cute shops that correspond to the ride, Disney can increase excitement about the up and coming ride as well as increase overall profit. Another good marketing idea would be to include TV screens throughout the ride that show previews of up and coming Disney movies. Remember, Disney, you have a captive audience while people are in line! This is a perfect opportunity to get those kiddos yelling “Mom! Mom! We have to go see that”. Kids are the perfect little people to advertise to because it is hard for parents to tell their little ones “no” especially in The Happiest Place on Earth.

“While in line, Disney is losing profit from these guests that could be purchasing food, drink, or merchandise.”

As a Disney fanatic, I would love to say that the décor for the 60th anniversary blew my socks off, but that is not the case. I was less than impressed with the diamonds and silver sparkles. I am not being negative, the castle was beautiful but I am just stating, that as someone who was there for the 50th and 60th anniversary, I was expecting innovative merchandise and stunning décor, I was moderately let down. On a positive note, Disney does a magical job creating new ways to make the classic characters new again and creating merchandise to reflect the current time.

One attraction that I was super impressed with was the Mad T Party, Disney California Adventure’s take on the Mad Hatter’s Tea Party. This is a genius way to tie in the teens and people in their 20’s and 30’s. The Mad T Party is from 6-10pm and includes a live band featuring the White Rabbit DJ, Alice, Tweedle Dee and Tweedle Dum, and the Mad Hatter as the lead. The characters are based more off of the Tim Burton film rather than the original cartoon so the show has more of an edgy and alternative vibe. The band plays rock songs from the 80’s to current which engages all sorts of audience members. The T Party also sells drinks with light up ice cubes and all bars are Wonderland themed.

Overall, California Adventure seems to be aimed more toward the teen to 50 plus crowd and Disneyland is for the younger folk but both demographics can enjoy both parks. My only recommendation would be to keep California Adventure open until midnight as well because once it shuts down at 10, Disney becomes overcrowded. Also, we came out of the park at midnight starving and Downtown Disney was closed. To increase profit, I would recommend keeping shops in Downtown Disney open at least an hour later than the park.

Alright, so that's my input on what I think Disney has done well and what could center Disney more with their clientele! Until next time, strap on those Mickey ears and get centered!